by Patricia Gurin, Eric L. Dey, Sylvia Hurtado, and Gerald Gurin

About the authors: Patricia Gurin is chair of the department of psychology at the University of Michigan. Eric L. Dey is executive associate dean and an associate professor at the University of Michigan school of education. Sylvia Hurtado is associate professor and director of the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education at the University of Michigan. Gerald Gurin is a professor and research scientist emeritus at the University of Michigan.

Educators in U.S. higher education have long argued that affirmative action policies are justified because they ensure the creation of the racially and ethnically diverse student bodies essential to providing the best possible educational environment for students, white and minority alike. Yet until recently these arguments have lacked empirical evidence and a strong theoretical rationale...